Combat decisions
Compare card sequences under explicit starting conditions, then check the exceptions that change the play.
Defend loses sixteen HP; skipping loses fifteen
Full explanation ↗Infested Prism is using base Whirlwind at 5 damage for 3 hits. Vital Spark makes each Skill Tainted 2. Start with no Block or Tainted, and no Weak, Frail, Strength, Dexterity or other modifiers. The enemy survives.
- Incoming before Skills
- 5 × 3 = 15
- Tainted per Skill
- +2 to each hit
- Starting Block
- 0
Skip both Skills
- Keep Whirlwind at 5 damage per hit.
There is no Block, but neither Skill increases the attack.
Play base Defend
- Gain 5 Block.
- Tainted increases the attack to 7 × 3 = 21.
Five Block is less than the six extra damage added across three hits.
Play base Leap
- Gain 9 Block.
- The same Tainted increases incoming damage to 21.
Nine Block outweighs the six added damage, saving three HP versus skipping.
Survival and enemy mechanics
Can playing a Block card cost HP?
Defend adds 6 incoming damage but supplies only 5 Block in the base Whirlwind example.
Infested Prism: when a Block Skill makes the turn worse ↗
How can a Shiv deck fight Entomancer?
Improve damage per hit, and account for the Dazed entering the current draw pile.
Entomancer: Shivs, Dazed and damage per hit ↗
Why did the Giant kill me after lethal?
Debuffs clear at the transition; the explosion turn needs a separate defense plan.
Waterfall Giant: survive the turn after lethal ↗
When should Shivs come before defense?
The same three Shivs and Defend produce 13 or 9 Block with the illustrated relic setup.
Retained Shivs, Dexterity and attack-count relics ↗Card order, draw and turn counters
Why does extra draw prevent Grand Finale?
Draw exactly two cards with Backflip; a third draw can reshuffle and close the window.
Grand Finale: exact draw counts and the reshuffle trap ↗
Why did my draw card fail to draw itself?
A card still resolving is outside the discard pile. Draw it again after resolution with another source.
Reshuffle timing: which cards can you draw again? ↗
Why did my new Power miss its first trigger?
First-card Powers count earlier qualifying plays. Feral before Claw deals 8 rather than 3 in the example.
Feral, Echo Form and first-card timing ↗
Which cards should come before Borrowed Time?
Playing a free Soul first preserves one Energy; later cards each incur the surcharge.
Borrowed Time: which cards to play before the Energy boost ↗Repeatable engines and their limits
Does this All for One loop keep working?
Track each card’s pile, a permanent Hologram+ discount, hand space and the growing Void pile.
All for One loops: the cards, Energy and hand space required ↗
How do repeated Prolong snapshots add up?
Prolong+, Hologram+, Prolong+ queues 21 Block from an initial eight; current protection remains separate.
Prolong: saving a Block snapshot and repeating it next turn ↗Builds and core mechanics
All guides ↗
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